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By Debbie Schlussel
Morgan Spurlock got famous from his Oscar-nominated documentary, “Supersize Me.” He ingested supersized McDonald’s meals three times a day for thirty days, then blamed McDonald’s for his changed physique and health.
Now, he’s using his thirty-day premise to get Americans to ingest his bloated version of radical Islam on cable’s F/X Network.
Last year, I received a request to appear in Spurlock’s new reality show, “30 Days.” The six-episode series began Wednesday Night. The episode for which I was being recruited, “Inside an American Muslim Family,” airs next Wednesday. It features Spurlock’s childhood friend from West Virginia, David Stacy, spending thirty days “living as a Muslim” in the Detroit area.

While he is often referred to as a “journalist,” and Spurlock touts “30 Days” as a “documentary,” the outcome of the show was already decided before production began.
A show summary sent to me before taping began said, “This process aims to deconstruct common misconceptions and stereotypes . . . . [O]ur character will learn firsthand about Islam and the daily issues that . . . Muslims in America face today. The viewers will witness our character emerge from the immersion situation with a deeper understanding and appreciation for the Muslim-American experience. . . . The potential is great for this program to enlighten a national television audience about the Muslim American experience and increase their compassion, understanding and support.”
I asked the show’s executive producers–all of whom worked for Michael Moore–how this could be a documentary when they’d already decided the outcome. Wasn’t it possible, I asked, that the subject of the program, Stacy, would come out seeing that there isn’t Islamophobia to the extent that the Muslim community claims? Might Stacy see that there is disturbingly strong support in the Detroit area Islamic community for terrorist groups Hamas and Hezbollah–a fact regularly documented in the normally pliant Detroit media?
No, producers told me. “Morgan wants the show to demonstrate to America that we are Islamophobic and that 9/11’s biggest victims are Muslims.” With this in mind, I agreed to be filmed only with final approval of my appearance, which I never gave.
When I met David Stacy, I was amazed at how ignorant and uninformed he was. This newly-inducted “expert” on Islam never heard of Wahhabism–the extremist Sunni strain of Islam that now dominates the religion. He was unfamiliar with terrorist groups like Hamas and Hezbollah. He did not believe me that Hezbollah murdered hundreds of U.S. Marines and civilians in Beirut and elsewhere. He seemed mystified to learn that President Bush shut down American Islamic charities, like the Holy Land Foundation and Global Relief Foundation, for funding Hamas and Al Qaeda. He hadn’t a clue about taqiyyah, the Koranic principle allowing deception of non-Muslims.
He told me and a Detroit radio show that Muslims are no more representative of Qaeda and Hamas than Timothy McVeigh is representative of Christianity. Actually, McVeigh was an atheist.
Spurlock planned the outcome of this “immersion” show and he found the perfect tabula rasa in Stacy. Spurlock also found the perfect “experts” and “key members” of Detroit’s Islamic community to propagandize their easily swayed dupe.
Paul Findley is listed as an “expert” consultant for the show. A non-Muslim with no special knowledge of Islam, Findley’s real expertise is having been an anti-Israel congressman who was defeated when he was targeted by Jewish groups. Another “expert” is Muqtedar Khan, a faux moderate professor with close ties to Muslim extremist group, Al Muhajiroun, as documented by Militant Islam Monitor. Khan criticized the Dalai Lama for opposing forced conversion to Islam, and got angry when I exposed it in a column I wrote. His columns urged understanding of how devout Muslims can be driven to commit terrorism because of the West’s economic alliances. He justified Iraqi suicide attacks against U.S. soldiers as acts of frustration.
Stacy was taught by Imam Hassan Qazwini of Dearborn’s Islamic Center of America, the largest mosque in North America. Qazwini’s mosque hosted Louis Farrakhan, who was introduced as “our dear brother” and “a freedom fighter.” I was there and wrote about it for The Detroit News. I watched Qazwini cheer on Farrakhan’s attacks on America and descriptions of Jews as “evil” and “forces of Satan.”
Stacy’s Muslim family was selected with the help of Haaris Ahmad, an activist in CAIR (Council on American Islamic Relations), which two former FBI counterterrorism directors have described as “a Hamas front-group.” CAIR got its seed money indirectly from indicted Hamas political director Moussa Abu Marzook. Ahmad called my Detroit radio show to defend indicted, alleged Islamic Jihad terrorist leader Sami Al-Arian. He said Al-Arian’s successful plans and fundraising for bus bombings which killed, among others, American Alisa Flatow, were an exercise of his “free speech.”
When I told Spurlock’s executive producer that I felt David Stacy was a moron, she replied that Imam Husham Al-Husainy, a prominent–if Ayatollah Khomeini-revering–Dearborn Shia cleric, “said the same thing” and refused to continue teaching him about Islam for the show.
The biggest morons, though, are not Stacy, but the TV critics and viewers who fall for this supersized phony “documentary.”

33 Responses

I would have done anything, maybe even kissed one of those WNBA chicks, to have seen Debbie in a true documentary living the Muslim experience for 30 days in Detroit.
I’m not surprised to read this seeing it’s from the brilliant mind who made the SHOCKING!!! discovery that eating at McDonalds every day will make you a big, fat slob.

So basicly, the people behind this show are promoting terrorism indirectly? Wouldn’t homeland security have a say in this? Also, This guy Morgan Spurlock is also doing “other” types of this show where he takes people and puts them in situations like this (the whole 30 days that will change your life deal). Only saw one advert for it and then it disappeared…hmmm. Maybe the network canned it. To me this guy sounds very….questionable. Considering that it is probably common knowlege that if you were to eat Mcdonald’s or any fast food for every meal for 30 days, you WILL get fat and you WILL have health problems.

Go get em Debbie. I know so many people who buy what Spurlock feeds them. They totally bought into “Supersize Me”, they totally bought his one-sided view of “life on minimum wage” (the show’s debut episode) and they are primed to buy this Islamist claptrap next week.
So sad that some people can be so ignorant…

I logged on to this page because I heard you advertise it on Howard Stern today and I thought you may have something enlightening to say. While here I read a few of your posts and I find you to be a very bitter woman who has her own “agenda” here. You are no better than the ones you are bashing. You obviously are slanted Pro Jewish as if Jewish people never do anything wrong which isn’t true. There is good and bad in every segment of people. Your articles project so much hate for anyone who you deem different from you… or with a opposing opinion that it is hard to grasp any of the truths that they may contain in them or the positive that could be produced from them. You come across as a very racist narrow-minded person and quite obnoxious I might add. It is really sad that you are in such a position to have you words heard and you use that position to be so hateful.

My lord… It is the naive and irresponsible actions of individuals like Morgan Spurlock, David Stacy, and Paul Findley that contribute to a pre 9/11 sense of complacency. Only bleeding heart liberals armed with cameras, biased information, and a fixed hypothesis can take advantage of an otherwise uninformed American public and lead them like lemmings to the cliff of ignorance. Once again the finger of blame is pointed at the United States first. Who are the real victims? The Muslims. Who are the true terrorists? The American people. I say horse manure!!!
On a side note… I think Spurlock’s ultra-liberal, hippy-happy, vegan-sized wife is the true inspiration for Spurlock’s social/political agenda. She’s a real treat… don’t you think?

Spurlock should be surgically removed from the gene pool. He does nothing but cloud the waters.
Hmmm. Preconceived documentary results. Shows executive producers were Michael Moore veterans. Hmmm. Could there be a connection? Hmmmm.

Oh… and hey, MONTY… I listen to Howard Stern too… Wow… isn’t the Howard Stern show a haven for non-bigotry and open-mindedness!!! It’s not as if Howard uses the “N” word to describe African-Americans. It’s not as if Howard constantly ridicules people with physical or mental disabilities like stuttering or dwarfism. It’s not like Howard is a HUGE supporter of pornography!!! It’s not like Howard and his entire on-air entourage avoid hate-speech towards anyone with a conservative/Republican viewpoint. I think it is enormously sad that Howard is in an even GREATER position than Debbie to have his voice heard and use his position to promote hate, indecency, and racism. But the worse thing is his ability to take individuals such as yourself and influence your thinking.
You stated to Debbie: “Your articles project so much hate for anyone who you deem different from you… or with a opposing opinion that it is hard to grasp any of the truths that they may contain in them or the positive that could be produced from them.”. Isn’t that how Howard behaves as well? Anyone who calls his show with an opposing viewpoint is immediately dumped. Unless you are someone like Debbie Schlussel who has a high-profile radio show. Then you get air time on the Howard Stern show. But after you hang up the bashing ceremonies begins. Artie loves to tear Debbie apart… as a matter of fact, your comments to Debbie sound like a carbon copy of Artie’s remarks? Strange… Sounds to me like you are influenced by what is touted on the Howard Stern show? Do you ever consider the opposing viewpoint? I believe you are just as closed minded as you believe Debbie to be.

Sorry… my last post was directed towards NANCY… not MONTY. I apologize for the mistake MONTY. With the identities of the posts being placed at the top it appears as if the post below it belongs to them. Oh well…

Nancy,
Quite honestly, you dont have a clue what you are talking about nor can you begin to comprehend the message of this article. What is bitter or hatred about cold hard facts about muslim support for terrorist organizations?
It is a common simple agenda for muslims to portray themselves as victims while pacifying westerners and providing support to terrorist organization either by financial or even moral support. This happens multiple times a day between Israel and the Palestinians. Have you not been paying attention to this confrontation?
Mr. Spurlock is already portraying them as victims because it was written in his script to do so! No consideration was taken into his 30 day ‘enlightenment’ because as Debbie pointed out, they don’t have a damm clue about Islam, The Quran, Sunnah, Taqiyyah or most importantly the Jihad ideology. Instead, they spent 30 days talking to muslim appologist who could never consider an ounce of criticizm towards Islam no matter how contructive.
This is not a documentary, it is fiction.

Nick,
No worries mate. I was hoping your post wasn’t really directed at me. I do listen to Stern so I figured you must know me! LOL
But yeah, the problem with Stern is exactly as you describe. I’m glad he does give Debbie a forum, but I get irate when the bashing starts as soon as she hangs up the phone. I wish they would realize how serious the issues she brings up are.
Nancy,
You got some learning to do, hon…

gotta love the hate….funny thing is this article took a major turn and fell away from the subject. another funny thing is that most of the people who dislike spurlocks show are the same people who religiously watch reality shows and the michael jackson trial coverage. at least spurlock attempted to put something intelligent on television unlike the news. grow a mind of your own and read a book people.

Hey, Rev:
-I watch Survivor and the Amazing Race.
-I thought the Jacko trial coverage was excessive and annoying, but the subject was important and I stayed up on what traspired.
-I also thought it was inventive and original to make a documentary stressing the somewhat obvious point that McDonald’s food is bad for you. The concept of 30 days is a good one.
Your biased comments, therefore, are wrong. I can enjoy 30 Days and still see it as biased and tainted. I can read your vague, generalized and biased inputs on the blog and still enjoy replying to them, too.
Unfortunately, Morgan Spurlock tainted the first episode with unreasonable x-factors that only made my wife and me frustrated while watching. My wife and I lived for about a year on minimum wage, and got along (in a higher cost of living area). It wasn?t a party, but we made it. We were hard workers and eventually rose to better incomes through hard work and education. The 30 Days minimum wage episode had both Morgan and his fianc?e going to the hospital in one month, visiting emergency rooms to drive up the costs, getting paychecks so low that they must not have adjusted their withholdings (since the poor pay NO income tax). Note also that they did not file for food stamps or other subsidies already out there (which are helpful). It is not fun being poor, but in America it is not impossible like the episode tried to make it look.
The second episode about steroids was good. It was stressful and a little scary, and an eye opener when Morgan bought illegal steroids so quickly and easily in Mexico.
I take Debbie at her word when she says this third episode has a bias and spin. I’ll still watch just to see what it will be like. I recognize that Morgan is liberal and will slant things, but I’ll still listen to what he has to say. I listen to Debbie too and find my truth through a compilation of sources.
Reverend, you should stop barking about hate and stop labeling and pigeonholing people. I will take your advice, however, and read a book!

First off, I enjoy reading Debbie’s work, I appreciate actual journalism even though I may not agree with her obvious bias sometimes.
However, I just don’t get her rant on Spurlock this time. What is her beef with getting a dumbass to be the guinea pig for the episode? I understand that many people are disconnected with people of different social classes, but to assume the majority of common America knows what
Wahhabism, taqiyyah, and even Hezbollah are is ignorant in itself. Not everyone lives in big cities or has regular interaction with devout Muslims. To me, it sounds like Spurlock and producers found the purfect person to play the “role”, someone who has little to no understanding of Islam or Muslim-American daily lives. Isn’t that the point of the 30 day “experiment?”
Of course, I wouldn’t expect Debbie to be impartial to anything regarding muslims, but that is for another day.

I just don’t see the point to get an idiot to appear on that show, Cleetus. It just seems like it would be a one-sided view the lefties love. That’s why it would be fun to have someone like Debbie be the “guinea pig.” Can you imagine the fun stuff when they try to start the propaganda and then Debbie starts bringing up all those issues? What’s to learn seeing an idiot led around by the nose? I can see that every day on Oprah or The View.

I suppose leftists will claim that the movie makers are secretly in cahoots with Karl Rove, who, no doubt, timed his remarks this week to coincide with the movie’s release.
The full length version of Debbie’s column is found here.
The long term…

I can’t believe that David Stacy knew nothing about Hezbollah and the Marine attacks in Beirut! I am only in my thirties and I can remember when they bombed the barracks and over 200 Marines were killed two decades ago (and in that vein Leon Klinghoffer, the TWA hijacking, etc). Of course, if he’s a contemporary of Morgan Spurlock than they both must be too young to remember, literally and figuratively 🙂
(Seriously, it was a major enough event that they actually teach it in my nephew’s 8th grade history class so shame on you David!)

Yeah, yeah…McDonald’s is evil for serving food and we’re all evil for wanting to prevent militant islamists from imposing their will on us. Thankfully, the fundamentalist wacko islamists have Morgan Spurlock, who looks like he’s never had to fight anyone or anything, to defend them.

So, if I’m to follow this, the purpose of the show is to put a person into another demographic for 30 days, and they chose a normal Muslim family, like the many that have been living in America and paying their taxes for generations.
I don’t see the problem. This is not supposed to be a documentary on Muslims across the world or on radical Islamists, this is culture shock within America using a standard American Muslim family.
If he was putting a Muslim or an Atheist into a Christian family, would you be upset that it wasn’t Fred Phelps’s family? Should Christians in America be represented by a radical hate group who publically welcomes attacks on America, and celebrates 9/11?

Cleetus and Nancy: I think Debbie’s point is directed “somewhat” toward the ignorance of the subject (which was a poor choice on their part, if you ask me), but moreso the conglomeration of other players in the “documentary”. To include those suspected of complicity along with a pre-decided outcome and using a neophyte as the subject is a more well rounded picture of what’s happening here. To focus on one aspect of this post, like their choice of Stacy, while ignoring the whole picture is ridiculous.
And what’s so conclusive about living with a Muslim family “on camera” who now has every reason to play the victim, especially since this is supposed to be the outcome? Unless one is going to add balance to such an endeavor by providing a true history of events that lead up to it, it’s all crap.
This is an attempt to quell Islamophobia? No. This is an attempt to demonize or marginalize those who are better educated in world events. I, like Monty, will see it for what it is, but many won’t. To lull those who are ignorant (like Stacy) into a false sense of security with this propaganda is shameful.
One needs only to consider the indictment of Fallacci in Italy and watch Ontario, Canada consider introducing sharia law into its courts (only two of many alarming precedents being set around the world) to see that there is a growing danger if we decide to ignore it and take on an air of tolerance without the benefit of reciprocation.
Okay, I’m done.

Actually, Morgan, you drooling lackwit, 9/11’s biggest victims were the 3,000+ dead and their families and friends. You, on the other hand, like many liberals, are a victim of your own mental illness and biological chemical imbalances.

Nancy, believe me, Debbie is far from being unabashedly pro-Jewish, read her columns carefully, she disagrees with and puts down plenty of Jewish people 🙂 (and sometimes even Israeli government policy)
I most neutrally say that what I observe Nancy is that the people she sees as “bad” you see as “good” and vice versa 🙂 This is neither bad nor good in all honestly, its just different viewpoints on the world; to tell you the truth, I probably fall in my view somewhere between you and her.
I do agree though that in some of her articles she seems pretty close minded, but just when I’m ready to completely assume this, she surprises me. While it may appear that she sees all Arabs/Muslims as “bad” no matter what, along comes the article where she rightly defends the poor girl whose parents condoned an attempted “honor killing”. If her bias was strictly 100% racial/ethnic and not due to disagreement with politics and practice, she wouldn’t even write this article, let alone take this girl’s or any side.

Perhaps I can be one of the keen minds of the twenty-first century just like Spurlock. I’m a type 2 diabetic and would like to spend thirty days in a candy store eating nothing but sweets. Now let’s see if I experience a rise in my blood sugar level. Then perhpaps I can sell my story to one of the major studios in Hollywood and make a few bucks. Any takers??

“When I met David Stacy, I was amazed at how ignorant and uninformed he was. This newly-inducted “expert” on Islam never heard of Wahhabism–the extremist Sunni strain of Islam that now dominates the religion.”
Bit of the old pot and kettle here.
By what possible meaningfull metric does Wahhabism “dominate” Islam??

you’re so oblivious to the world around you. you don’t understand the implication of what you say and your eyes are shut to the words and actions of many. there are certain people, regardless of religion or ethnicity, that make inane comments promoting their religions, but they’re not indicative of the rest of the adherents to that religion. Timothy McVeigh wasn’t a Muslim.